This invention relates to plural-story building structure, and more particularly to features in a novel column structure which forms part of the frame in such a building structure, which features uniquely allow for the implementation of several categories of what are referred to herein as construction-extension activities. This invention possesses both structural and methodological characteristics.
Considering one facet of the invention, in the construction of a plural-story building, it is common practice to employ large and expensive ground-supported cranes (as few as possible) to lift and swing into position various building materials, including frame building materials. There is, of course, normally much to lift during the progress of such building construction, and it would be very desirable that not all of the myriad lifting events be “loaded” onto the work “agenda” of a major crane, especially where many lifting requirements could more efficiently be handled by carefully placed, small crane-like machines.
As will be seen shortly, the present invention squarely addresses this issue in a simple, versatile and efficient manner. It does so by providing a unique hollow and tubular column structure. Wherein the upper open end of a column component can be employed, in a temporary manner, as a stabilizing receptacle for the base of a small and highly portable davit-like crane, referred to hereinafter as a davit crane. Such a crane is also referred to herein as a building-extension, or construction-extension, instrumentality because of the fact that its use is involved, in a futurist manner of thinking, in the prospective extension of building activity.
Further, and considering other facets of the invention, after a plural-story building has been completed, and effectively sealed against invasion by the elements, there are many instances in which it is later desirable to add superstructure (more upper stories, a canopied roof space, etc.) to the top of the “once completed” building. Additionally, it may later be desirable to introduce some additional internal building structure (cables, fluid conduit, and other things) without significantly having to “break-open” the environmentally sealed condition of a building, and in particular breaking-open the sides of a building.
The present invention also handily addresses these kinds of “construction-extension” activities.
The preferred and best-mode embodiment of, and manner of practicing, the invention may best be appreciated in the context of describing first certain special terminology which is employed herein in the description and characterization of the invention. One such terminology feature is expressed in the phrase “construction-extension”, and a definitional basis for this phrase has already been given above. Text below will reinforce this definitional basis.
Another special terminology component herein involves the phrase “load-bearing portion” in relation to the frame of a plural-story building structure. As employed herein, this phrase refers to that volumetric portion of a building frame which is occupied by interconnected columns and beams that are intended to handle various loads delivered into that volume region of the frame. The phrase does not include the parts of any frame components—and in particular, column components—which project upwardly and freely above the top of the associated, underlying frame volume which contains load-bearingly interconnected columns and beams. This definition will become more clearly illustrated in the detailed description of the invention below.
According to a preferred and best-mode embodiment of, and manner of practicing, the invention, columns for a plural-story building frame are constructed as hollow, tubular components. In whatever stage of building-frame completion “currently” exists, upper end regions in installed columns extend above what is referred to herein as the load-bearing portion of a building frame structure. Such a load-bearing portion is defined as that portion of a building frame which contains load-bearingly interconnected columns and beams.
In a frame structure which is not yet complete, and thus is still under construction, each column's upper end region can be visualized as extending above a certain previously completed load-bearing part of a load-bearing portion of an underlying frame structure.
In a completed building, and in accordance with the present invention, such upper end regions in columns extend above, and thus penetrate, the roof of the underlying completed building. Appropriate weather sealing is provided where such column ends extend upwardly from the roof.
These column upper end regions nominally each terminates at an open, upwardly facing, upper end, referred to herein as a mouth. Such a mouth opens to the underlying hollow interior of the upper end region in the associated column component, and together with that interior defines what is referred to herein as a port. In a finished building, these mouths are closed off and environmentally sealed by appropriate, removeably installed plugs. While a building frame is still under construction, the column mouths are normally left open.
It is these port-containing upper-end column regions which facilitate the activity which is referred to herein as construction-extension activity. While a building frame is still under construction, the ports provided by these regions allow for the temporary, removable installation of portable crane structures, such as davit crane structures, which can be employed to assist “locally” with various construction-extension tasks. In this kind of situation, the underlying building frame structure effectively acts as a supporting mast, or tower, for the installed crane.
In a finished building, sealing caps may be removed from the upwardly extending column end regions to enable, and ultimately become part of, added building superstructure, such as additional building stories, a roof canopy structure, and other things, which become supported by the column end extension. These upwardly extending column end regions, and the accessible ports which they provide, can also offer structural mounting points for various kinds of mechanical equipment, for towers, terraces and decks, to name just a few, possible, added rooftop structures, and additionally can accommodate the removable and resettable installations of davits and similar load-handling devices to support window-washing and painting platforms, and the like.
Still further, post-building opening of the upper end region (port) in an upwardly extending column end, thus to expose this port for use, can enable downward feeding of various kinds of later-desired building infrastructure. Such an opening, significantly, does not entail any appreciable compromise in the sealed environment condition of a previously finished building. Its availability avoids the undesirable necessity for breaking-open side regions in a finished and “closed” building.
These and other features and advantage which are offered by the present invention will become more fully apparent as the detailed description which now follows is read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. Throughout these drawings, like structural elements pictured in the different figures are identified with like reference numerals and characters.
In FIGS. 3-6, inclusive, a roof-installed waterproof membrane (which is pictured in FIGS. 2A and 2B) is omitted in order to simplify these views.